Articles & Columns

Cutting Tool Engineering Editorial Director Alan Rooks examines Germany's manufacturing model in his July Lead Angle commentary.

Improving productivity when changing out cutting tools.

Advanced machine technology requires advanced training options.

Equipment and media options for cleaning automotive parts.

END USER: Single Source Inc., (574) 656-3400, www.singlesourceinc.us. CHALLENGE: Reduce programming and setup times when producing increasingly complex parts. SOLUTION: A combination of CAD/CAM software and mill/turn machines. SOLUTION PROVIDERS: DMG/Mori Seiki USA Inc., (877) 275-6674, www.dmgmoriseikiusa.com; DP Technology Corp., (805) 388-6000, www.dptechnology.com; Ellison Technologies, (630) 393-8900, www.ellisontechnologies.com

Machining fiber-reinforced composite materials with fiber and other types of lasers can be an effective option.

END USER: Form Tool Technology Inc., (803) 788-3686, www.formtooltech.com. CHALLENGE: Polish flutes of drills and other round tools to enhance chip evacuation. SOLUTION: Diamond-abrasive polishing wheels. SOLUTION PROVIDER: 3M Abrasive Systems Div., (866) 279-1288, ext. 1258, www.3m.com

Part Time columnist Bill Kennedy visits a Minnesota job shop that makes "light" work of a challenging part in the June issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.

Composite toolholders and boring bars.

Technology for applying a hydrogen-free DLC with high adhesion.

The Manager's Desk column for the June issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine discusses the rise of machining and fabricating in the United States.

The Shop Operations column in the June issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine stresses importance of understanding material elongation and thickness.

Dr. Jeffrey Badger, Cutting Tool Engineering magazine's Ask the Grinding Doc columnist, helps you make sense of nonsensical grinding parameters and achieving final depth when ID grinding in his June column.

The use of plastic medical parts is growing, and in certain applications machining them is advantageous and even essential.

Bringing inspection technology to the shop floor for quality control can pay big dividends.

Reamers are an effective option for hole finishing, but choosing the right one for the job depends on hole type and diameter, among other factors.

CTE Editorial Director Alan Rooks ponders the good news about U.S. manufacturing of late.

The June Machine Technology column in Cutting Tool Engineering covers selecting and maintaining preload in spindle bearings.

END USER: Genesis Attachments, (715) 395-5252, https://www.genesisattachments.com. CHALLENGE: Increase productivity when machining high-strength steel jaws and other components for recycling and demolition equipment. SOLUTION: Implementing new cutting tools and high-speed machining based on lean manufacturing principles. SOLUTION PROVIDERS: Northwest Wisconsin Manufacturing Outreach Center, (866) 880-2262, https://www.nwmoc.uwstout.edu; Walter USA LLC, (800) 945-5554, https://www.walter-tools.com/us

END USER: Fulflo Specialties Inc., (937) 783-2411, www.fulflo.com. CHALLENGE: Increase tool life in back spotfacing of stainless steel hydraulic relief valve bodies. SOLUTION: Custom tool for difficult-to-machine workpiece materials. SOLUTION PROVIDER: Heule Tool Corp., (513) 860-9900, www.heuletool.com